Rifiuto: Non Miriena

Washington, D.C.,

Georgetown,

2021

Ziva snuggled further into Tim's arms, ignoring whoever was at the side of the bed, shaking her. After having gotten home from a trying case, they'd made sure the girls had done their homework, had dinner, and then gone to bed. Shirah had of course asked to be excused early, saying she wasn't feeling well.

"Ima."

Ziva shifted closer to Tim; the girls would be in soon enough to curl up with them, and she wanted as much time as possible in her husband's arms before then. The shaking continued.

"Ima."

Groaning, the Israeli finally shifted onto her other side, dark eyes blinking open after several minutes. Shirah stood by the side of the bed, tears running down her cheeks. That immediately set alarm bells off in her head; Shirah never cried about anything if she could help it. At twelve, the girl had learned from watching her how to be stoic and quiet, and how to keep her emotions tapered down- something Ziva was determined to break her oldest of. Of course, Yoni and Nara had no trouble expressing their feelings- well, Yoni didn't, but that was the water in Ziva's middle daughter; so much like her father, in temperament and personality, that there were days Ziva feared the ten-year-old would drown for the water in her. And Nara...

Of all three of the sisters, Nara was the one who couldn't seem to decide which element she truly belonged to. Though she seemed to possess more air than either of her sisters' elements, a trait that kept the eight-year-old equally getting into trouble and staying out of it.

"Sh... Shirah? What... what are you doing up?" Ziva quickly grabbed her cellphone, checking the time. "It is midnight, you should be in bed."

But the child just sniffled. "Slicha, Ima. I..." She burst into silent tears that sent her mother throwing back the covers as she sat up.

"Shh, hush, Shiraleh. There is no need to cry. Come here." The girl went to her, taking her hands. "Now what is wrong?"

A moment passed before the girl whispered softly in her mother's ear. Ziva furrowed a brow before her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, sweetheart, you have just gotten your niddah."

Shirah stared at her, the word unfamiliar to her. She'd sat through her health class in school, like all the seventh graders had to. She'd blushed when the teachers talked about the differences between boys and girls, and had sunk into her seat when the subject of sex was brought up; for she understood perfectly well what sex was- Ima and Abba had it all the time; they would cry out for each other, or start with touches and kisses or playful smiles, whispered words or tugging at clothing. And while Ima and Abba had talked to her about it, she never actually thought it would apply to her. "Ma?"

Ziva sighed, getting up and taking Shirah's arm, tugging her into the bathroom. With the door soon locked behind the two, Ziva knelt to meet her daughter's gaze. "You have started your period,ktana, that is all. You have just," She shrugged. "Started your period."

"I have?"

Ziva nodded. "In Hebrew, it is called a niddah- well, the technical meaning of niddah means a woman who is unclean because she has not been able to complete an immersion in a mikveh, but that is neither here nor there. The point, Shiraleh," Ziva finished, taking her daughter's shoulders gently. "is that you got your period. You have started your menstrual cycle, that is all. Nothing to be scared of. We can take care of it. It just means you are growing up."

The twelve-year-old sniffled. "Oh."

"Now, how about you get out of your pajamas and I will run a quick shower, okay? Maybe that will calm you down."

The girl nodded as she slowly began removing her pajamas, but she stopped. "Does Abba know?"

"About what?" Ziva asked, starting the shower.

"About..." She swallowed, glancing at her feet.

"About niddah?" Shirah nodded. "Of course he does. Abba and I grew up together in Israel. We were best friends." Ziva stopped, chuckling softly. "When I started mine," She quickly wet her lips, her teeth coming out to latch onto her lower lip. "I was twelve- your age- and I was spending the afternoon at Savta Kathleen and Saba John's, and Abba and I were working on homework at the kitchen table. And when I got up to get something to drink, Si-si asked where the blood had come from. I was embarrassed I did not talk to Abba for days afterward."

"He was not scared?"

Ziva shook her head, wrinkling her nose. "No. Abba understood; Abba is a very understanding man. He knows all about niddah, and he knows when I am on mine; he knows better than to be around me when I am on mine." She helped Shirah into the shower, and then slid the door shut, leaning against the wall. "Niddah is what gave me you and your sisters."

"But... you said Abba-"

Ziva chuckled softly. "Abba did give me you, but niddah made it possible for me to have you and your sisters. It makes it possible for a woman to have a baby. That does not mean you now get to sleep with a boy whenever you want, Shiraleh, it just makes it possible to have children. Are we clear? You know Abba and I will not allow you to date until-"

"I know, Ima. Fourteen." The girl whispered, shutting off the water and opening the shower door. Ziva grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her daughter and quickly helping her dry off. The child made a face. "I do not like boys anyway. They are gross." Her mother chuckled, grabbing another towel and proceeding to dry her daughter's hair.

"You will not be saying that for much longer, Shiraleh." She replied, giggling as she lifted the towel, revealing her daughter's messy damp curls. "A lot will change very soon. A lot is changing as we speak." She whispered, reaching up and brushing a strand off her daughter's cheek. "I will go get some clean clothes and you can change in here. There are menstrual pads in the bottom shelf of the cupboard. It will help tonight, and we will discuss what to do tomorrow morning. However, since it is Saturday, and Abba and I are not on rotation, I suggest we all sleep in. I will be right back."

By the time they got the bed stripped and remade with fresh sheets, Shirah had calmed down significantly. As Ziva slipped back into bed an hour later, sliding herself into Tim's arms, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Ev'rything all right, baby?"

Ziva nodded, glancing back at her husband as he nuzzled against her neck. "Fine." She pulled Tim's arms tighter around her waist, settling down among the pillows before shifting quickly onto her side and kissing him chastely on the lips before settling back down. "Shiraleh just started her period."

"Tha's... nice..." Tim's green eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up. "What?"